A Point of View: The grown-ups with teddy bears - BBC News A Point of View: The grown-ups with teddy bears 1 February 2013 Close share panel The historian David Cannadine considers the enduring appeal of teddy bears for both children and adults. A few days ago, I read the obituary of an extraordinary man named Sir Robert Clark, who'd been born in 1924. During World War II, he was recruited to Churchill's Special Operations Executive , and he was later parachuted behind enemy lines in Italy, where he was captured and incarcerated as a prisoner of war. Thereafter, having been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, he became a major figure in the City of London, and the British government often called on him for advice. He was remembered by one colleague as being "a wonderful man, as clever as could be, but very humble with it". Behind his facade of urbane charm and unfailing politeness, there was a strong will and steely nature.

He used to sit inside my battledress Sir Robert Clark on Falla More on Sir Robert Sir Robert Clark died in January this year in his late 80s, and when reading his obituary I was particularly struck to notice that at the age of two, which must have been in 1926, he'd been given a teddy bear that he called Falla. Throughout Clark's long and varied career, Falla accompanied him everywhere, even when he was parachuted into enemy territory, and while he was a prisoner of war. Perhaps in gratitude for Falla's unfailing loyalty, Sir Robert Clark later became an ardent collector of teddy bears, eventually accumulating more than 300 of them. But such a story of lifelong devotion between man and bear is by no means unique. John Betjeman adored his childhood teddy, whom he named Archibald Ormsby-Gore, and Archie later became the model for Aloysius, who was owned by Lord Sebastian Flyte, in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited.

But although we take teddies for granted today, as the stuffed animals of choice in both fact and fiction, they've only been an integral part of childhood - and also in many cases of adulthood, too - since the early years of the 20th Century. And for that, we have to thank the American President, Theodore Roosevelt, who was known as Teddy, and after whom stuffed bears have ever since been named. Find out more A Point of View is on Fridays on Radio 4 at 20:50 GMT and repeated Sundays, 08:50 GMT David Cannadine is a British historian, author and professor of history at Princeton University Four Thought podcast In 1902, which was only a generation before Robert Clark was born, Roosevelt went on a bear-hunting trip in the state of Mississippi, at the invitation of the governor. One day, after a long, exhausting chase, some of Roosevelt's friends cornered an American black bear, which they tied to a willow tree, and they called upon the President to shoot it. But Roosevelt deemed such a request unsporting, and this episode was later immortalized in a political cartoon by Clifford Berryman published in the Washington Post.

Quite by chance, Berryman's cartoon was noticed by a Russian Jewish immigrant to America named Morris Michtom, who by day sold candy in his store in Brooklyn, while by night making stuffed animals with his wife Rose. Thus inspired, Michtom duly created a stuffed bear cub, and he put it in his shop window, accompanied by a sign that read "Teddy's bear", having already sent an earlier version to Roosevelt, who promptly gave him permission to use his name. The new toy was an immediate success, and the sale of teddies was soon so brisk that Michtom went on to establish the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company. At almost the same time, and apparently by entire coincidence, stuffed bears were also being introduced to Germany, where they were first manufactured by Margarete Steiff, who'd been making soft toys since the 1880s, and who'd recently been joined in the business by her nephew Richard. It was Richard Steiff who created his own version of the teddy, which he exhibited at the Leipzig Toy Fair in 1903.

His bear was also an instant hit, and soon the Steiffs were exporting thousands of teddies to Britain, the US and other parts of the world. Thereafter, the advance of teddy bears to global dominion has been inexorable. Nowadays, there are shops which sell only teddy bears, there are teddy bear museums in many countries, and teddy bear festivals regularly take place in Australia, the US, Britain, Canada, Germany and Japan. Meanwhile, and as the example of Aloysius in Brideshead Revisited suggests, teddies have long since become a permanent cultural fixture as well. In 1920, Rupert Bear first appeared as a children's comic strip character in the Daily Express. Soon after, AA Milne published Winnie The Pooh, and the central character was a bear named after a teddy owned by his son. In 1932, the song Teddy Bears' Picnic, with music by John Walter Bratton, and words added by Jimmy Kennedy, became one of the hits of its time.

Twenty years later, the puppet bear Sooty, created by Harry Corbett, made his first appearance on BBC television, and in 1958 Paddington Bear began his illustrious career, celebrated in his bronze statue on the London railway station from which he takes his name. How the teddy got its name Named after former US President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt On a hunting trip in 1902, he was offered a stunned, lassoed bear to shoot but refused Washington Post cartoon of this event inspired Morris Michtom to produce cuddly toys named Teddy's bears Here are bears aplenty, providing whimsy and comedy, diversion and entertainment, for a mass public audience, as well as the comfort and the companionship that they gave to such men as Sir Robert Clark and Sir John Betjeman. They are as much literary creations to be read about as they are manufactured artefacts to be purchased and owned. Yet in many ways these are odd and even inexplicable developments. Beyond doubt, real bears are extraordinary and magnificent creatures. But whether brown or grizzly or polar, they are more vicious predators than cuddly pets, and human beings are well advised to avoid them in the wild.

And what if Teddy Roosevelt had been given a different first name, or had declined the invitation of the governor of Mississippi? Would stuffed bears have become such popular products during the subsequent 100 years? These are some of the unanswered questions of teddy history. But what cannot be denied is the extraordinary appeal of bears, whether stuffed or real. When I was growing up, millions in Britain swooned over Brumas - a polar bear born in Regent's Park Zoo, London, in 1949 - the first bear to be reared in captivity in the UK. Image caption A hit at the children's zoo at Whipsnade in 1962 More recently, another young bear named Knut , born in the Berlin Zoological Gardens, became an international media phenomenon whose life was celebrated and whose death was mourned around the world. And giant pandas have frequently prompted similar levels of interest and sentimental attachment. A polar bear story The death of Knut, the world's most famous polar bear, has reopened the debate on the ethical minefield of man's relationship with wild animals.

From the Magazine, 22 March 2011 Perhaps it's that bears represent the happy security of a childhood friend who never changes or lets you down. For whatever reason, teddies appeal to both children and adults of all ages, in ways that stuffed elephants or tigers or monkeys or ostriches or dolphins never quite do. Nowadays, it's impossible to imagine a world without teddies, which means the stuffed bear must rank as one of the 20th Century's most remarkable inventions and most enduring creations. When Sir John Betjeman died, he was holding Archibald Ormsby-Gore in his arms, and in death, as in life, Falla was with Sir Robert Clark to the very end. As an antidote to the dying of the light, or to the ending of the day, teddies are always with us. How many of you, I wonder, will be taking your bear to bed this evening? I wouldn't dream of asking. And shall I myself be taking mine? I wouldn't dream of telling. You can follow the Magazine on Twitter and on Facebook From Across The Pond 1- Dee Mason in BearsandBuds Margaret Thatcher owned a bear called Humphrey.

Dame Judi Dench is a well-known teddy bear collector. In the world of show business there is no shortage of collectors from across the pond either. Ringo Starr of The Beatles collects teddy bears while Paul McCarthy gives a teddy away during an appearance. Betjeman's Bear The first is a famous British poet who was so devoted to his bear that he went to extraordinary lengths to keep him by his side throughout his life. The poet Laureate John Betjeman owned a beloved bear grandly named Archibald Ormsby-Gore - Archie for short. Jumbo the Elephant was another close companion, but it was Archie who held the dearest place in Betjeman's heart.

He wrote a poem about his bear, which is heart-breakingly candid in its expression of tenderness, and clearly captures the love of boy for bear, as a companion in woe and a comfort: "The dreaded evening keyhole scratch Announcing some return below Still I could smooth those half-moon ears And wet that forehead with my tears." From 'Archibald' by - John Betjeman Despite hiding Archie in the attic when he was nine to prove to his father that he was not 'soft', Betjeman later risked the ridicule of his peers by taking Archie up to Cambridge University with him. Far from being ridiculed Archie became the influence for Sebastian Flyte's bear Aloysius, in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. Sebastian, a typical young English aristocrat, took Aloysius with him everywhere. Later Betjeman later wrote stories for his children, which featured Archie, called Archie and the Strict Baptists, in which the bear rides a hedgehog to church and has a keep interest in archaeology. A great Englishman, Sir John Betjeman was made Poet Laureate in 1972.

When he died ten years later in 1982 he held Archie, and Jumbo the elephant, in his arms, still finding comfort in their presence at the end of his life. The most famous bear of all Arguably the most famous British teddy bear owner was Christopher Robin Milne, son of A. A Milne, the author of the Winnie the Pooh books. Little Christopher was taken to London zoo as a small boy, and there saw a black bear named Winnie. He listened to the tale of Winnie's arrival at the zoo and was smitten. Winnie was purchased from a fur hunter for $20 by a kind-hearted Lieutenant in the Canadian Army. Lieutenant Harry Colebourne smuggled Winnie into England where he was due to serve during the First World War. Winnie became an Army mascot, but was left with London Zoo while Harry went to fight in France. Later he was donated to the zoo and lived out his days there. Christopher Robin was so enchanted by this tale that he named his own bear Winnie. He later added 'Pooh' in honour of a swan of the same name he met on holiday.

Winnie the Pooh must be the most famous bear in the world, along with Christopher's other animals, Kanga, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger. Together they have enchanted generations of children with their adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood. Order your New Winnie The Pooh book at Bears&Buds' reduced price . Royal Bears The literary world has its share of famous teddies, but the British Royal Family are well known animal lovers, a fondness that extends to teddy bears! Queen Victoria loved her bear, as did our current Queen Elizabeth. No doubt their bears were of the finest quality. Prince Phillip donated his bear to the same Teddy Museum as Tony Blair, where it sat with other famous bears, including Mr. Bean's teddy. I wonder what they talked about? The collection was finally auctioned for 2008, so Teddy collectors, keep your eyes open for some famous British bears on your travels.

Learn more about When it's time for children to leave the teddy bear at home | Life and style | The Guardian Parents and parenting When it's time for children to leave the teddy bear at home If Sir Robert Clark could take his faithful teddy bear with him to the front during the second world war, you'd think our children would be allowed to take their favourite toys and comforters to school. But if they're not allowed to, how do you part them from their treasures? Teddy bears in the classroom: 'I would have preferred the teacher to have laid down the law from day one.' Photograph: Robert Niedring/Getty Images/Westend61 Katy Rink Thursday 28 February 2013 06.49 EST First published on Thursday 28 February 2013 06.49 EST "The only constant, sitting there, Patient and hairless, is a bear" From Archibald by John Betjeman Parachuted into enemy territory and held prisoner during the second world war, Sir Robert Clark, who died this year, was never truly alone in times of trouble.

His obituary revealed that the bearlike, 6ft 4in merchant banker kept his teddy bear Falla tucked into his battledress. The former poet laureate Sir John Betjeman also treasured his teddy Archibald Ormsby-Gore and was said to have been holding it when he died. If such compelling British men could get away with clinging on to childish comforts well into adult life, surely it is all right for me to allow my five-year-old son to take his cherished yellow lion (Li Li) to school? Last term the teachers were cool about comforters. "They're still so little," they chirped, as piggy, bunny and Li Li lined up to start reception. This term has seen change in the climate – the air has cooled, the furry friends have outstayed their welcome. "Perhaps Mummy can keep it on the car seat?" teacher cajoles at the start of each day. I do understand her point. My son's moth-eaten lion has a peculiar soporific effect; he breathes him in and is instantly tranquillised.

Every muscle relaxes, his eyelids flutter and shut and he is wonderfully pacified, but hardly ready to imbibe keywords and Jolly Phonics. I have tried to distract, grab and run but my little one slays me with his doleful eyes, entreating: "What if I get an ouchy in the playground?" I would have preferred the teacher to have laid down the law from day one. A line in the sand is far better if drawn by someone else. My eldest son dropped his dummy like a stone when warned by our Italian dentist, in a sonorous baritone: "You don't give up your dummy, you look like this …" (pantomiming horrible buck teeth). The first day of big school would have been an ideal cutoff point for Li Li, but that ship has sailed. My sister-in-law in New York urged us to cut away a little piece of Li Li each day, until our boy got the message. I file that under transatlantic barbarism. It is not, however, quite as horrifying as this revolting solution to the problem, known as Zombie Bear , from Etsy.com.

The service is currently suspended, but the idea is that little Jimmy will be so distressed by seeing his teddy's exposed viscera that he will never want to touch a cuddly toy again. Perhaps I should have laid down some ground rules from the start. I have plenty of friends who insist that "smelly dog" stays in the cot, or that "green piggy" is only for nap time. And so Li Li accompanies us everywhere. He has been trailed through mud, puddles and cow pats; dropped and recovered countless times; handed back to us by supermarket security guards and kindly old ladies; washed, very rarely. He is the most emasculated lion you could imagine, with a shrivelled mane and tuft-less tail. I credit Li Li with having boosted my son's immune system – he rarely gets sick – thanks to all the micro-organisms he has ingested from Li Li's filthy coat. This is not just idle speculation; a study of germ-free mice, published in Science magazine last year found that exposure to microbes in early life may lower susceptibility to asthma and inflammatory bowel diseases later on.

Jeff Leach , founder of the Human Food Project, suggests that the rise in autoimmune diseases in developed countries may be down to our prewashed salads and handwash culture . My husband jokes that Li Li is so clogged with organic matter, from all the sucking, that we could boil him up in a stock pot and live off the broth in the event of a nuclear winter. Perhaps we should bottle it as some sort of pro-phylactic elixir. Comforter debates rage violently on parenting websites, with some mothers trading diabolical insults – accusations of cruelty abound. Taking a broad view, it seems that most are in favour of ditching dummies, whereas the teddies get to stay, on the grounds that while pacifiers damage teeth, teddies are harmless. I am not sure when or how the bond between Li Li and my youngest son will be severed, if ever. I suppose it might be a turn-off for prospective girlfriends, although Archibald accompanied Betjeman to Oxford. It was Archie who inspired Evelyn Waugh's intimate pairing of Aloysius and Sebastian Flyte in Brideshead Revisited . My brother ditched his threadbare rabbit at the age of seven when he went to cub camp.

Bunny made it as far as the tent flap, but was unceremoniously jettisoned when it emerged that no other boys had brought their teds. I don't particularly remember dropping my own comforter – a muslin square that I called "Ninnor" – although I imagine that thumb-sucking gradually took over. I do, however, remember the feeling of overwhelming comfort, which is partially recaptured when I draw in a lungful of Li Li. I am cast immediately back to childhood, in sweet, Proustian transportation. Like DH Lawrence in Piano , I weep like a child for the past, in the flood of remembrance. Why would any loving parent be in a hurry to rob their child of such potent relief? The callous, indifferent adult world might be much better faced in the company of a bear or two.

As Betjeman said, in Archibald: "…if an analyst one day Of school of Adler, Jung or Freud Should take this aged bear away, Then, oh my God, the dreadful void!" Claire Perry says children's lives are too regimented by over-indulgent parents, and they need time to be bored Published: 2 Mar 2013 When Nick Coleman's daughter decided to get rid of her cuddly toys, he was outraged – how could she? Published: 28 Sep 2012 Annalisa Barbieri advises a reader worried that her son has to wear nappies at night because she hasn't trained him not to Published: 1 Mar 2013 Kate Carter discovers a fun way to use up scraps of material - by making her very own cuddly toy Published: 30 Aug 2011 Six famous people who love teddy bears - StuffedParty.com | The community for stuffed toys Six famous people who love teddy bears by StuffedParty | posted in: Blog , Featured | 0 Peter Bull. Image credit: YouTube screenshot Famous people love teddy bears.

Some of them are what we call arctophiles or people who love teddy bears and stuffed animals . Our friends from Picolleta have a great article showcasing six famous people who love teddy bears. The article is a way to celebrate the upcoming Paddington Bear film. Paddington Bear is released in the UK on November 28. And to celebrate, here’s six famous arctophiles – people who love their teddies. John Betjeman and Archie Archibald Ormsby-Gore, or Archie for short, was a constant companion for John Betjeman. The poet laureate grew up with Archie by his side and took him to Oxford University, where they failed to get a degree. The pair did, however, capture the attention of Evelyn Waugh, who used them as the basis for his character of Sebastian Flyte and his bear Aloysius in Brideshead Revisited. Archie would join Betjeman for trips on the London Underground, to general bemusement. “Everyone’s staring at you Archie. Behave!” Betjeman would say. Betjeman is thought to have been holding Archie when he died.

Peter Bull Character actor Peter Bull (1912-1984), who memorably appeared as the Soviet ambassador in Dr Strangelove, was for many years the figurehead of the teddy bear collecting movement. He had a vast collection of teddies. They included a 1907-made bear named Delicatessen, who played the character of Aloysius in the 1981 TV adaptation of Brideshead Revisited – view here. A 1969 TV appearance by Bull, in which he stressed the health benefits for adults of teddy bears, is thought to have increased the popularity of the bear collecting hobby. Bull wrote Bear With Me, a book about teddies, in 1969. Grayson Perry and Alan Measles Perhaps “bear lover” is the wrong term. Because the 54-year-old holds just one bear close to his heart: Alan Measles. Alan has been a constant in Perry’s life since an early age. He helped Perry escape an unhappy childhood, fighting German soldiers in imaginary battles, among other pursuits.

The bear, who is the only remaining memento from Perry’s childhood, was a “surrogate father, rebel leader, fighter pilot and undefeated racing driver”, according to the artist. Indeed, the now threadbare Alan Measles played such an important role in Perry’s life that the artist created several metal and ceramic versions of him for his 2011-2012 exhibition at the British Museum. The original remained safely at home with Perry. Michael Bond and Paddington “On Christmas Eve 1956, I bought a bear from Selfridges for my first wife Brenda as a Christmas stocking-filler,” writer Michael Bond told the Daily Mail. “We called it Paddington because we lived near that railway station. Not long after, I sat at my typewriter and started writing a story about a real bear discovered at the station, and that became the first Paddington Bear book.” Those books, about a Peruvian bear who arrives at London’s Paddington Station, have been delighting children and their parents since 1958. And the original bear? Bond and his ex-wife share custody of him.

Paul Greenwood and his Steiff collection Hedge fund manager Paul Greenwood had the finest collection of Steiff bears – the Rolls-Royces of the stuffed bear scene – in the world. But he has them no more. Because Greenwood was forced to sell his collection to pay legal fees. What had Greenwood done wrong? Defrauded investors of $554m. He was found guilty earlier this year. The teddies auctioned for $1.8m – that’s a lot of bear, but the sale left Greenwood facing another problem. Who’s now going to keep him company in his prison cell late at night? Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and Snowy “Many years ago, driving down the Avenue Montaigne during Paris Fashion Week, I spotted him in the Dior shop window. ‘Turn the limo round,’ I shrieked. ‘I have to have him. The Eurostar can wait!” Tara Palmer-Tomkinson explained to the Daily Mail. Always by the society girl’s side, Snowy travels in his own Hermes Birkin or Chanel Jumbo bag, and is said to even visit a stylist ahead of important functions. You can also check out the original article here .

The Thoughts of Chairman Bill: Archibald Ormsby-Gore - Storm Olympian! Archibald Ormsby-Gore - Storm Olympian! Ref the Russian doping scandal. If you have a reputation for being totally ruthless and unscrupulous and base your entire raison d'être on that portrayal, then protestations of the fabrication of the report into Russian doping of Olympians are so much fluff in the wind. The words petard, Putin, hoisted and own come to mind. I'm currently reading " Trains and Buttered Toast ", an anthology of broadcasts from the 1930s & 40s by Sir John Betjeman. I spotted it in our local tea shop and asked Chris, the proprietor, if I could borrow it, to which he kindly assented. Betjeman had a teddy-bear called Archibald Ormsby-Gore, which was apparently the model for Sebastian Flyte's teddy-bear, Aloysius, in Evelyn Waugh's "Brideshead Revisited". Archie was Betjeman's lifelong companion, along with a stuffed elephant called Jumbo. Both were clutched in his arms on his death in 1984.

Betjeman's family was originally of Dutch extraction and added an extra 'n' to the name during the 4th Anglo-Dutch War (1780~1784) to sound less Dutch, but then dropped it during WWI to avoid sounding German. The Met Office has started to name storms. Storm Abigail is set to batter Scotland, but when you name a storm you make it sound all kind of cuddly. There's also the fact that battered things in Scotland evoke battered Mars Bars, which pose no threat, except possibly of a coronary. 1 comment: 6 Famous People And Their Teddy Bears 6 famous people and their teddy bears Here are six famous arctophiles - people who love their teddies. (It's Greek don't you know.) John Betjeman (without Archie for once) - image: Wikimedia Commons John Betjeman and Archie Archibald Ormsby-Gore, or Archie for short, was a constant companion for John Betjeman. The poet laureate grew up with Archie by his side and took him to Oxford University, where they failed to get a degree.

The pair did, however, capture the attention of Evelyn Waugh, who used them as the basis for his character of Sebastian Flyte and his bear Aloysius in Brideshead Revisited. Archie would join Betjeman for trips on the London Underground, to general bemusement. "Everyone's staring at you Archie. Behave!" Betjeman would say. Betjeman is thought to have been holding Archie when he died. Peter Bull's Delicatessen starring opposite Anthony Andrews in Brideshead Revisited - image: YouTube Peter Bull Character actor Peter Bull (1912-1984), who memorably appeared as the Soviet ambassador in Dr Strangelove, was for many years the figurehead of the teddy bear collecting movement. He had a vast collection of teddies. They included a 1907-made bear named Delicatessen, who played the character of Aloysius in the 1981 TV adaptation of Brideshead Revisited - view here . A 1969 TV appearance by Bull, in which he stressed the health benefits for adults of teddy bears, is thought to have increased the popularity of the bear collecting hobby.

Bull wrote Bear With Me, a book about teddies_,_ in 1969. A rare shot of Grayson Perry without his bear, dress, or potter's wheel Grayson Perry and Alan Measles Potter. Cross dresser. Bear lover. Turner Prize-winner Grayson Perry is famed for the first two. But we're concentrating on the bear angle here. But perhaps "bear lover" is the wrong term. Because the 54-year-old holds just one bear close to his heart: Alan Measles. Alan has been a constant in Perry's life since an early age. He helped Perry escape an unhappy childhood, fighting German soldiers in imaginary battles, among other pursuits. The bear, who is the only remaining memento from Perry's childhood, was a "surrogate father, rebel leader, fighter pilot and undefeated racing driver", according to the artist. Indeed, the now threadbare Alan Measles played such an important role in Perry's life that the artist created several metal and ceramic versions of him for his 2011-2012 exhibition at the British Museum. The original remained safely at home with Perry.

Paddington's statue at the London station whose name he shares - image: Wikimedia Commons Michael Bond and Paddington "On Christmas Eve 1956, I bought a bear from Selfridges for my first wife Brenda as a Christmas stocking-filler," writer Michael Bond told the Daily Mail. "We called it Paddington because we lived near that railway station. Not long after, I sat at my typewriter and started writing a story about a real bear discovered at the station, and that became the first Paddington Bear book." Those books, about a Peruvian bear who arrives at London's Paddington Station, have been delighting children and their parents since 1958. And the original bear? Bond and his ex-wife share custody of him. Steiff is the Rolls-Royce of the teddy bear business - image: Wikimedia Commons Paul Greenwood and his Steiff collection Hedge fund manager Paul Greenwood had the finest collection of Steiff bears - the Rolls-Royces of the stuffed bear scene - in the world. But he has them no more. Because Greenwood was forced to sell his collection to pay legal fees. What had Greenwood done wrong? Defrauded investors of $554m. He was found guilty earlier this year.

The teddies auctioned for $1.8m - that's a lot of bear, but the sale left Greenwood facing another problem. Who's now going to keep him company in his prison cell late at night? TPT, never without her Snowy - this photo is the exception that proves the rule - image: Wikimedia Commons Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and Snowy "Many years ago, driving down the Avenue Montaigne during Paris Fashion Week, I spotted him in the Dior shop window. 'Turn the limo round,' I shrieked. 'I have to have him. The Eurostar can wait!" Tara Palmer-Tomkinson explained to the Daily Mail. Always by the society girl's side, Snowy travels in his own Hermes Birkin or Chanel Jumbo bag, and is said to even visit a stylist ahead of important functions. Blog Blog About Rexine Wednesday, 2 March 2016 15:49:36 Europe/London When you look at many old teddy bears paw pads you will see that they are 'peeling'. I am often asked why this is. Rexine is a tradename for a leathercloth or an imitation leather material used in upholstery and bookbinding.

It was first listed in the Trademarks Journal as belonging to the British Leather-Cloth Manufacturing Company Limited (later to become Rexine Limied), Hyde, Nr Manchester. Rexine is formed by covering a woven fabric with several coatings of cellulose nitrate. The term is now often used to describe the leather-cloth used on British and Australian teddy bear pads from the late 1930's to the early 1960's. Lorraine x Wednesday, 16 November 2016 15:12:57 Europe/London Old Chiltern Teddy Bear Named Ian. I suppose you could say that Chiltern Bears were produced because of the First World War, which had a big effect on the teddy bear industry because all German imports (and that included teddy) were not allowed into England and of course, this opened up a very large gap in the teddy bear market. However, you could also say that the story of Chiltern intertwined with both Germany and England. Chiltern Toys was originally founded in Germany in 1881, as a toy export company. It was started by two brothers - Josef and Gabriel Eisenmann.

Josef lived in London at 45 Whitecross Street while his brother remained in Germany in Furth, Bavaria. In 1900 Leon Rees joined Josef as a business partner and this partnership was somewhat strengthened when Leon married Josef's daughter. The company, Eisenmann & Co. Ltd. brought teddy bears from Germany to Britain. In 1908, Eisenmann opened the Chiltern Works that was based in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, although their production was mostly concentrated on dolls. When the First World War began and teddy bears were stopped from entering this country from Germany, the company started to then turn their attention to producing teddy bears. It launched its first teddy "Master Teddy" in 1915. Eisenmann & Co. did produce some teddy bears too (which often traded under the name of 'Einco' - these bears had webbed claws and can often be misten for Farnell Bears). H.G. Stone & Co. was a company that was founded in 1920. Harry Stone (who was a former director of J.K.

Farnell) joined forces with Leon Rees in 1919 when Rees inherited the Chiltern Works from his Father-in-Law. Both Stone and Rees opened a further factory in 1921 in Tottenham, North London - Rees takking charge of the marketing while Stone took charge of both design and manufacture. The first toys to be marketed was under the Chiltern Toys label in 1923 and included the popular Chiltern Hugmee Bears. By the end of 1926, H.G. Stone & Co. was one of Britain's leading high street toy makers, the company always priding themselves on the quality of their toys, always being ectremely careful to use on the very best quality materials and hence, that is why so many old Chiltern teddies survive to this day. This, however, did not stop the company from producing one of the very first artificial silk plush teddy bears in 1929 (known as Silky Teddy) and it proved very popular indeed. H.G. Stone & Co.

was lucky to be one of the very few manufacturers to continue working throughout the Second World War at its London factory, although work was stopped at the Chesham factory. Even Hugmee Bears were still produced, although, as materials were in such short supply their design did change a little (muzzles tended to become very much shorter). At the end of the war years, the company, anticipating a large growth in the teddy bear market relocated its premises to Pontypool in Wales, as they needed much larger premises to incorporate a school to teach their workforce about soft toy making. Then in 1967 the Chad Valley Company acquired H.G. Stone & Co. (Chiltern Toys) and became the country's largest soft toy makers. With this purchase, Chad Valley moved their production of toys to Chiltern's factory in Wales and for a while the label 'Chad Valley Chiltern Hygenic Toys Made In England' was used, despite the toys actually being made in Wales. Then along came the seventies, which it has to be said was a very sad time for the teddy bear when dozens of manufacturers were forced to close their doors. Why?

Well, firstly because the birth rate had fallen dramatically and secondly, the very few toy companies left decided to produce more modern and exciting toys that children of that decade demanded. Even sadder was the fact that teddy bears on the market were being made very cheaply by companies in the Far East and so, the depression hit Chad Valley, although it made many attempts to survive but in 1978 sold out to Pallitoy. In 1988, the wonderful name of Chad Valley was bought by Woolworth who used the label for their low-quality toys that were made in the Far East and which did not resemble in any way the old teddy bears of either Chiltern or Chad Valley of days gone by. Such a sad story of one of the greatest soft toy makers that has ever been. Lorraine. Monday, 21 November 2016 15:19:29 Europe/London Ed Bear by W.J. Terry At the beginning of twentieth century, many British toy companies started to produce teddy bears. Many of the larger companies are very well documented, making it quite easy for us to identify their bears, by putting labels, buttons and swing tags on their teddy bears.

However, there were also very many companies who started up, especially when the teddy bear boom hit and almost as quickly as they opened their doors, they closed them, leaving behind them absolutely no trace of records on how to identify one of their teddy bears. This can make identifying many old bears almost if not impossible to identify. One very important company, who had a very similar history to that of J.K. Farnell was the makers W.J. Terry, who was originally a skin merchant that was founded by William J. Terry way back in the year 1890. At the turn of the century, this company began producing soft toys that were covered with real animal fur and by 1909, after the success of a little toy dog called Terry'er that was based on King Edward VII's dog Caesar, the company found itself in a position to open a very large factory at 25 Middleton Road in Hackney, London. In 1913, the company moved premises to Lavendar Grove, which was also in Hackney, where they continued to produce the Terry'er Toys range which by now also included some mohair plush teddy bears....like our old bear Ed.

Their teddy bears seemed to take on an overall look of the Farnell Bear and that is the reason why, sometimes today the two makers can so very easily become confused. Just like Farnell, Terry favoured using very large glass eyes and their teddies also had a large hump on their backs (Ed has a very, very large hump on his back!). They also adopted the technique of webbed-paw claws (sadly Ed's paw pads have alll been recovered many moons ago). In the year 1924, upon the death of William Terry, his son Frederick struggled to keep the business going and like so many other companies, it was hit by the worldwide Depression of the 1930's and so by the time the Second World War had begun, the company had closed its doors. Ed came to live with me almost a year ago now. He was a Christmas gift from someone special. He has had most of his fur coat loved off and his joints are more than a little bit stiff, but still Ed is very strong and he often comes for walks in the country with me.

He is absolutely fine, just as long as I put a warm sweater on his, a scarf and a cosy hat - to protect his old bald body. I just wish I knew who loved him in the past. Lorraine x Monday, 28 November 2016 14:50:49 Europe/London Wendy Boston Teddy Bears. One of my favourite makers of teddies, is the wonderful Welsh makers from days gone by named Wendy Boston. Born in January 1909 in Acocks Green, Birmingham - Nora Wendy Boston grew up in a family that was used to commerce. Her Father, Ernest was a coal merchant whilst her Mother (Nora Jenkins) was a part of the 'Jenkins Silver Company' who had a factory in Birmingham. The young Wendy started out studying at the Lawnside Art College and later she went on to work at the famous Cadbury's factory, where her job was to produce promotional materials. She later married Ken Williams and all went really well for the newly married couple, that is until the start of the war when Ken joined the RAF. In 1941, however, he was invalided out.

He then worked in a number of roles in both retail and pubs until their home was bombed. It was at that time that both Ken and Wendy decided to use the upset to move on and make a completely fresh start. The move was to take them to a wonderful little town just outside of Abergavenny in Wales called Crickhowell. Due to the austerity of the war years, Wendy used old blankets and any old scraps of material that she could find to make some soft toys for the children of friends. These toys were really rather lovely and became very popular and Ken, who was never one to pass by an opportunity, took a box of Wendy's toys to a Cardiff Department store, who it seems, without any heitation at all bought the lot for £100 - an awful lot of money in those times. In 1945, the company was formed with one lock-up shop, one female employee and of course Ken and Wendy.

It was decided to use Wendy's maiden name to register the business 'Wendy Bost (Crickhowell) Limited.' The popular material, Nylon was invented in 1935 but no-one had seen the potential to use it for soft toy making, instead manufacturers used mohair, and materials such as kapok for stuffing. It was Ken who approached a Yorkshire based company to supply them with a nylon plush. It was to be the material that Wendy used to construct her very distinctive teddy bears that during the next few years sold in their thousands. Stella with one of the famous Wendy Boston Toys. The small site in Crickhowell soon became far too small to keep up with the demand for toys and so another factory was opened in Aberganvenny. This factory was much more modern than the one in Crickhowell, incorporating a glass-walled office for Ken to work from. In 1955, not long after it opened, these new premises was devastated by fire. Not only was the premises all but destroyed, but also three large export orders and lots of raw materials was lost too. However, luckily stock records and order books were saved due to being stored in metal cabinets.

A third factory was later added, this time at Tiryberth allong with a showroom in the West End of London. With the advent of health and safety issues, Ken and Wendy could see that soon teddy bears and soft toys was glass eyes on wires (that so often rusted and broke) would be banned and so they set about designing and produced a screw lock-in plastic eye with rust proofed nuts and this design was released in 1948. The stuffing of toys was also soon to be an issue and on a visit by Ken to Woolworth one day, he noticed some washable foam and brought some back with him to the factory, which he experimented on, initially slicing the foam into strips and later making it into cubes. This foam was dustless, springy and quick-dry. The new fully washable bear hit the market in 1954, being launced on the BBC in 1995. Lorraine x Friday, 2 December 2016 15:16:44 Europe/London Richard Steiff. Born on 7 February 1877, the second son of Fritz Steiff and his wife Anna.

He was the first of Margarete's nephews to join her staff at the felt business in 1897, in which he played an active part since his youth, as he was always considered to be Margarete's favourite nephew. As a child he captured his Aunt's attention, possibly due to his creativity and imagination as well as his practical ability. Richard was sent by his Father (who was a leading mason) to study at the Commercial Art School in Stuttgart.. His first proper job in the family business in 1897 was to represent the company at the famous Leipzig Trade Show. In 1898, he travelled to England where he became very popular with both fellow businessmen and customers alike. Upon his return to Germany he finally devotaed his time to the design and production of toys. In 1902, he produced the first soft toy bear (that we know as the Teddy Bear today). He had noticed for a long time that children loved the bears that were being produced by his Aunt;s company, but at that time they were 'on wheels' and so could not be cuddled.

Richard also had a great liking for bears himself, infact on studying animals at Stuttgart Zoo, he always paid particular attention to the bears. He produced many clay models and drawings and finally had the idea to create a doll-like bear that children could hold close. The teddy bear very soon became famous world-wide. Children in German Richard was a clever man, not only designing great toys like the teddy bear, but also developing plans for the Steiff Factory which he wanted to be made entirely from glass, 'the so-called Glass Buildings' that would make history in the field of industrial architecture and which was jockingly nicknamed 'Virgin Fish Tanks' by locals, because they were made of glass and the employees were mostly young women. He was also a great ice-skater and dancer (this is how he met his future wife - Else). He took part in amateur dramatics, he sang in the Giengen Mens Choir and was a member of the Volunteer Fire Department. He was a keen photographer, he flew hot-air balloons and small aircraft and he even designed and produced an 'Air-Kite' which lifted him into the sky. Later he moved to the United States with his wife, Else and their daughter, Marianne.

On 31 March 1939, Richard Steiff died at the age of just 63 of a massive heart attack. The local newspaper carried a tribute to him under the title 'Richard Steiff - Inventor, Artist and War Veteran, dies suiddenly. The inventor of the Teddy Bear is dead.' Lorraine x Teddy Bears And Their Famous Companions Thursday, 22 December 2016 11:50:04 Europe/London You see, teddy bears appear from all walks of life, they don't care whether their companion is rich or poor, black or white, they have absolutely no political views, infact all a teddy cares about is giving as much love and comfort to his companion that he can afford - something that perhaps humans should consider ! Many famous people have had a teddy companion, who have remained with them throughout their life... Alex Tarnoff, the famous dancer was given a teddy bear when he was just five years old (he was born in 1901 - just one year before teddy made his appearance). Tarnoff's bear had black painted boot button eyes and was made of mohair.

He is quite an unusual bear in that his arms and legs are rather narrow and they are attached to his body with exterior metal fastenings, which look a lot like metal buttons and they carry the trademark 'Shield'. Actually, this bear does look a lot like an early French Bear which dates back to the 1920's - 1930's (these bears had external jointing such as this). The problem, however, is, if this were the case then the dates do not add up, so I suppose the teddy will always pose a bit of a mystery. Sadly Tarnoff died in 1989, so we cannot simply ask him about this history of his teddy bear. The late and great poet, Sir John Betjeman (1906 - 1984) had a beloved teddy who was made by th famous German makers, Steiff (circa 1910). Sir John derived great comfort from his bear whom he named Archibald Ormsby Gore. Betjeman wrote : When nine, I hid you in the loft And dared not let you share my bed; My Father would have thought me soft, So at least my Mother said.

Sir John even wrote Archibald into his poem called 'Summoned by Bells'. When he died, Archibald was in his arms. The famous actress Dame Judy Dench, famous for her role as 'M' in the Bond films, is an avid collector of teddy bears and has well over 100 in her collection. Probably her most favourite bear is her first teddy (like so many of us), his name is Gray. Ms Dench has dressed him in wonderful green trousers. Elvis Presley had many teddy bears in his collection, or so it is said. We do know, that he had a very special bear whom he named Mabel. Sadly Mabel went to teddy bear heaven when, after visiting England for an exhibition, she was confronted by a dog. Elvis had a hit song called 'Teddy Bear' and later he was bombarded with teddy bears on stage by his fans every time he sang the song. Talking of teddy bear songs, do you remeber the lovely Shirley Temple singing 'Me and My Teddy Bear' as a child? This song was later discovered by modern day singers such as Peter Gabriel, Sharron Corr and Rosemary Clooney.

The late Earl Mountbatten of Burman (1900 - 1979) owned a beautiful and very much loved Steiff Bear (circa 1904), presumably the bear was given to him by one of his German relatives. There are infact so many famous people with teddy companions that I could mention, from the Royals to famous Sportsmen and women, but this is a blog and would be more like a book if I wrote them all down, so for now I will leave you just with the thought that, when all your friends disappear (as they do so often when you become famous), when you feel there is absolutely no hope in sight, your teddy bear will ALWAYS BE THERE FOR YOU. On that you can forever depend. Lorraine x Wednesday, 28 December 2016 11:26:27 Europe/London Peek Frean Teddy Bear Tin. I was given this wonderful old tin for Christmas. I love teddy ephemera !! The company Peek Frean delighted many children of many generations with their Teddy Bear Biscuits, which had an embossed teddy bear shape in the shortcake biscuits.

The small Edwardian tin was intended to be loved by children (and adults like me!) The biscuit makers brought teddies to the London streets in some style, when they introduced their famous teddy biscuits, which remained childrens favourite for generations. Each one of their dellivery vans was supplied with a very large teddy bear who was made by Ralph Dunn & Co. of the Barbican. At first some thirty of these bears - who stood five feet tall - were seen on the streets. However, it was not long before their numbers increased to three hundred by 1909. I love this tin !!! Tuesday, 10 January 2017 16:36:23 Europe/London When it comes to miniature teddy bears, then Schuco just has to be my favourite. Two Schuco Bears.

Many German manufacturers produced miniature teddy bears, including Steiff, but probably the best known and almost without a doubt, the best loved of them all was the tiny teddies made by a company named Schuco (originally named Schreyer & Co.) In 1912, Heinrich Muller, a former employee of Gebruder Bing, founded the company, Schreyer & Co. with his business partner, Heinrich Schreyer in Nurenberg. Both men were conscripted in WW1, and luckily they both survived but it was only Muller who carried on in the soft toy business, taking on a new partner, Adolf Kahn. Muller being concentrating on making novelty toys, many of them clockwork. In 1921, the company produced its famous Yes/No teddy bears who appeared for the very first time at the Leipzig Spring Toy Fair. These teddies were unique in that they could move their heds both up and down and from side to side. These bears are a part of the company's Piccolo range and is similar in both size and design to their other Piccolo Teddy Bears.

In 1924, the company then produced a tiny little teddy bear (who measured just 3.5 to 6 inches tall). He was jointed and made of mohair-plush. In 1927, a new novelty teddy bear was made, this time he wa designed to fit into a lady's handbag. His secret was he either contained a lipstick, compact mirror or a powder puff. A part of this series was a little teddy bear who carried a corked perfume bottle. It is also said that a ber was made to carry jam, but I have never seen one. However, there is a bear who lives in the Schuco archives thhat holds a cigarette lighter. Schuco intended thhat the very first of its tiny bear be given away for ffree as part of a publicity gimmick (for a petrol company). I just love these bears.

Lorraine x Monday, 16 January 2017 14:28:37 Europe/London You see, the teddy bear was created back in 1902 and he wasn't exactly an overnight success, but after a few snips and tucks and Richard Steiff''s belief in him, he soon was and just like any successful item that hits our markets, very soon competitors started to produce their own version of him. German toy makers was the first to make their own versions of him but pretty soon manufacturers all around the world made their own versions of teddy bear, many of them never putting a label on their toys. It was these companies who more often than not only survived a few years, due to many influential reasons such as world wars, because of economic disaster and because of cheap foreign competition. It was these makers too, that omittted to put a makers label on their toys and patterns, etc.were never kept. So identifying many old teddy bears can be quite a difficult, if not impossible task.

We know that many characteristics of the teddy including his eyes, his ears (and even the positioning of his ears) all combine to help us identify his maker and his age, but then most old teddies have had so much love and tender kisses that their looks can change almost completely, never mind replacement eyes, ears and even many limbs. So these teddy bears come under the category of unidentifiable teddy bears from days gone by. For me, far from being uninterested in these teddies, I find them utterly fascinating and a bit of a challenge. I adore the fact that they are a bit of a mystery, for me it all adds to their appeal, as I can sit for hours with an old unidentifiable teddy and try to imagine his story and where he came from and when he was born. I suppose I just love the whole mystery of these old friends. Lorraine x

Question: Who owned a teddy bear called Archibald Ormsby-Gore?
Answer: JOHN BETJEMAN